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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28284771">On the first day of Christmas...</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnOfTomorrow/pseuds/DawnOfTomorrow'>DawnOfTomorrow</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>12 Days of Christmas More or Less, AU, Actually Less, Awkwardness, Chris is a little shit, Flirting, M/M, Makkachin helps out ok??, Phichit is a little shit, Pining, Victor Nikiforov is Extra, Yuuri is a Delivery Man, thirst, victor is thirsty</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:16:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,354</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28284771</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnOfTomorrow/pseuds/DawnOfTomorrow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Yuuri is a delivery driver, just working his last few shifts before Christmas. What will be his favourite gift to deliver… and who will end up getting the best gift?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katsuki Yuuri &amp; Victor Nikiforov, Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>66</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. My true love gave to me…</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuagmireMarch/gifts">QuagmireMarch</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>18OI Secret Santa Card Exchange 2020 gift for LadyChipmunk (LC)!</p><p>Merry Christmas! :-D</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <ol>
<li>A partridge in a pear tree</li>
</ol>
<p>“Sign here!” He politely requested, waiting for Mrs. Steinbeck to sign for her delivery. She was one of his nicer stops – he always liked delivering her things, she was nice. He also wasn’t surprised when she handed him a ten-dollar note after signing – it was pretty common this close to Christmas.</p>
<p>He sighed wistfully as he got back into his truck – twelve days left until Christmas, and he was scheduled to work <em>every single one of them</em>. Not that he had anywhere to be or anyone to spend it with, but still! It sucked.</p>
<p>Checking his manifest, he realised he at least only had one more package left to drop off before his break – a package to the penthouse floor of a building in central Detroit. Just as well, it was a relatively small package and wouldn’t take long.</p>
<p>He turned the radio up – it was playing ‘Last Christmas’ and he actually liked the song. Humming along to it, he parked in the dedicated space, grabbed the package, and got in the elevator. He took a moment to study it – it was wrapped in the most HIDEOUS wrapping paper, pink and gold, with what looked like some kind of oversized bird sitting on a tree.</p>
<p>It belonged to one ‘Victor Nikiforov’ – Yuuri expected another old person.</p>
<p>He did NOT expect the drop-dead gorgeous Russian who opened the door… nor did he expect to be barrelled down by a huge dog before he even got a chance to process what he was looking at.</p>
<p>“Oh! Oh No! I’m so sorry! That’s Makka, she…” the man babbled, his accent thick, and frankly distracting.</p>
<p>The package recipient managed to free him and Yuuri got up.</p>
<p>“It’s fine, I like dogs.” He brushed himself off. “I have… a package?” He stared at the now crushed, trampled, and slobbered on package, that Makka was chewing on.</p>
<p>Mr. Nikiforov cleared his throat. “Yeah… I’m gonna have to order another one, aren’t I?”</p><ol>
<li>Two turtle doves</li>
</ol>
<p>Yuuri was in high spirits. He had another package for the gorgeous foreigner with the adorable dog – and this time, it was the first on his list. He cheerfully whistled on his way up with his new package. It was the same size as the day before, and had a MUCH less hideous wrapping paper – dark green, with golden pigeons holding a ribbon.</p>
<p>He knocked on the door and quickly backed away, shielding the package. It took a while longer for the door to open… and when it did, it revealed a scruffy, unshaven, and shirtless Victor Nikiforov. Apparently, Christmas had come early for Yuuri.</p>
<p>He gulped.</p>
<p>“Is it safe?”</p>
<p>“Safe?”</p>
<p>“The, uh, package. That I have. For you. Is your dog…” Yuuri broke off, wondering why he suddenly couldn’t speak properly anymore. Then again, that wasn’t unheard of around hot men and Victor Nikiforov was pretty much the dictionary definition of that.</p>
<p>“She’s in the bedroom. Where… is your package?”</p>
<p>Yuuri wheezed and held it out to the man.</p>
<p>“Do I have to sign for it?”</p>
<p>… Crap.</p>
<p>“Y-Yes. To be honest… I, uh, forgot my paper thing. Can I come back in a minute?”</p>
<p>Victor nodded and off he dashed, his face <em>burning</em>. What sort of a delivery driver forgot their list?!</p><ol>
<li>Three French hens</li>
</ol>
<p>Yuuri wasn’t so keen on delivering the two packages he had to Mr. Nikiforov – okay, the man had asked him to call him <em>Victor </em>– in his penthouse. Not after the way he’d embarrassed himself the day before.</p>
<p>This time he made <em>sure </em>he had his damn stuff together before he went up – one clipboard, two packages, one hell of a lot of thirst. He was actually curious – they were wrapped in yellow paper that looked more like easter than Christmas – they had all sorts of chickens and eggs and on them.</p>
<p>Shaking off the thought, he prepared himself and then knocked. The response was almost immediate – and Victor looked <em>delicious</em>.</p>
<p>“Hi, Yuuri! Wow, two today, huh! Thanks a lot.”</p>
<p>“Of course. Sign here.”</p>
<p>Victor did so, but he paused before giving back the clipboard.</p>
<p>“I-Is something wrong?”</p>
<p>Victor squinted at him and leaned in.</p>
<p>“Not wrong… but that shirt looks awful on you. Yuuuuri, you should wear blue, not yellow.”</p>
<p>He paled a little. Victor didn’t like his shirt? That was…</p>
<p>“Well, I, uh, only have this one?”</p>
<p>Victor nodded decisively and… slammed the door in his face.</p>
<p>Yuuri would have left, but Victor didn’t give him his clipboard back, and he definitely needed that. He needn’t have worried – in moments, Victor was back, his clipboard on top of… a folded blue dress shirt.</p>
<p>“Here! Try this one! It’s Spanish silk.”</p>
<p>Yuuri didn’t even know what that meant… but fine. He obediently grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and yanked it off, before reaching for the one in Victor’s hand.</p>
<p>Victor… who was staring at him like he was absolutely mad. Because clearly, he had meant for Yuuri to try it on at home. Or literally anywhere else. And now… he was topless. In front of the impeccably-dressed Victor.</p>
<p>Blushing like mad, he grabbed the dress shirt and put it on. Buttoning it, he found it to be a little loose but tucked into his slacks, it fit him pretty well.</p>
<p>“What, uh, what do you think?” he asked, in the hope of somehow being able to play off the incident as normal.</p>
<p>Victor cleared his throat. “Yes. Uh, very yes.” He said.</p><ol>
<li>Four canary birds</li>
</ol>
<p>Yuuri was RELIEVED that he didn’t have any packages for Victor that day. He wasn’t emotionally over how embarrassing he’d acted in front of the gorgeous man. No doubt, he thought that Yuuri was an absolute troll now.</p>
<p>He’d checked his manifest first thing… no sight of Victor’s penthouse. Ready to go out, he hopped into his truck… only to pause when Phichit, a co-worker and good friend of his came running down the loading bay.</p>
<p>“Yuuri! Yuuri! You forgot one! Here!”</p>
<p>He knew who it was for before he even saw the address – it was wrapped in neon green paper with a series of colourful parrots on it.</p>
<p>“Thanks, Phich.” He mumbled, setting the offending thing on his passenger side seat. It was <em>tiny</em>, no wonder he’d missed it – no bigger than his palm.</p>
<p>Well, time to deliver it and hope that he’d manage to act like a normal person for once.</p>
<p>Victor was wearing a frankly insultingly well-fitting sweater with Christmas poodles on it. That was all Yuuri could think about as Victor signed for his tiny package. Poodles. With Christmas hats. On a knit sweater. It should have looked hideous… somehow, it didn’t.</p>
<p>He took the clipboard back – all he had to do was say ‘thanks’ and leave. He could do that.</p>
<p>“I like your sweater!” he blurted out instead.</p>
<p>Victor looked down as if he didn’t know what he was wearing, then gave the most beaming smile.</p>
<p>“Thank you! I had it special made! Makka has a matching one. Do you want to see?”</p>
<p>He nodded before he’d processed the question, and then he was standing in Victor’s <em>extremely</em> nice living room while the man was posing next to his poodle, who was, indeed, wearing a matching sweater.</p>
<p>“Can I take a picture?” He asked, mentally kicking himself… but Victor just blushed slightly and agreed.</p>
<p>He took several – a few of both Victor and Makka and one or two just of the man himself – at least now Phichit would hopefully stop asking what in the WORLD had led to him coming back from his shift in a different shirt than he’d left in.</p>
<p>He glanced down at his screen.</p>
<p>Yes. Phichit would understand. He’d known Yuuri since college… and he knew how absolutely idiotic he acted around hot men.</p><ol>
<li>Five gold rings</li>
</ol>
<p>The wrapping paper on the next package – one almost reaching to Yuuri’s hips, mind you – was almost tame compared to the usual. It was still nicely wrapped in a light blue with silver rings on it – still, it lacked the garish quality all the others had had.</p>
<p>Of course, that very day, his trolley broke on his third delivery, so by the time he got to Victor’s – last one before shift end – he was not only exhausted but actively dreading having to carry that thing.</p>
<p>It was heavy too – as if the size wasn’t bad enough already.</p>
<p>After getting it to Victor’s door, he took a few moments just to breathe – mostly to catch his breath and give his arms a break, a little to emotionally prepare himself.</p>
<p>He knocked. Victor opened with a beaming smile.</p>
<p>“Hi! Any chance you’d be willing to put that in my bedroom?” he greeted Yuuri.</p>
<p>He froze for a second, no doubt looking like a deer in the headlights.</p>
<p>Victor’s... bedroom.</p>
<p>“Of course. Which way?”</p>
<p>Victor motioned for him to follow and he lifted the bloody thing up, stumbling along.</p>
<p>“Don’t you, uh, have a trolley or something?” He asked as he watched Yuuri drag it to what turned out to be the furthest spot in the damn penthouse because of COURSE it was.</p>
<p>“Broke this morning.” He wheezed out, dropping it on the floor in the bedroom.</p>
<p>He didn’t even bother really looking at the place, that was how exhausted he was.</p>
<p>As soon as he came back through the kitchen, he was greeted by... a cup?</p>
<p>Victor was handing him a teacup. He accepted it without thinking.</p>
<p>“It’s black tea. I made some before you came... It’s fresh. As a thank you for carrying all that.”</p>
<p>Yuuri stared for a few seconds before muttering a thank you – for some reason, it made <em>Victor</em> blush in a way that made Yuuri’s stomach flutter.</p><ol>
<li>Six geese a-laying</li>
</ol>
<p>He was fairly sure that whoever was sending all these packages to Victor was just actively trying to offend whoever was looking at them.</p>
<p>What else explained yellow and purple wrapping paper with flying geese on top? Oh, and he only knew they were geese because some oddly looping writing on it read ‘geesegeesegeesegeese’ every few inches.</p>
<p>At least this time the package was quite small – and light.</p>
<p>To his disappointment – or maybe relief? He wasn’t sure – his exchange with Victor was brief... typical for him, like all his other deliveries. It felt a bit empty, actually.</p><ol>
<li>Seven swans a-swimming</li>
</ol>
<p>The swan wrapping paper that graced Victor’s next package was probably his favourite to date. It was fairly subtle if unusual, and it didn’t make him want to claw his eyes out.</p>
<p>It was marked for the middle of his route – just around lunchtime.</p>
<p>Victor took longer than usual to open the door... And when he did, he was wearing a pink apron.</p>
<p>Yuuri’s brain nearly shit off when he tried to imagine him in <em>just </em>the apron – it was disturbingly easy.</p>
<p>He cleared his throat.</p>
<p>“I, uh, package?” he stammered, holding it out to Victor, who grinned happily.</p>
<p>“Great! Come in, put it on the couch.”</p>
<p>He obeyed, wondering why – until he realised Victor’s hands were completely hidden in what looked like very fluffy oven mitts.</p>
<p>“Sorry, I have to get these out of the oven <em>right now</em>.” He declared.</p>
<p>‘These’ turned out to be bear-shaped cookies, that Victor had apparently been making. They looked great – Victor didn’t seem to think so, he looked quite crushed.</p>
<p>“These look amazing.” He praised, hoping to cheer the man up.</p>
<p>“Y-You think so?”</p>
<p>“Yup! Are they polar bears? For... Christmas?”</p>
<p>Victor visibly deflated.</p>
<p>“... They were supposed to be poodles...”</p>
<p>Yuuri snickered quietly and took a closer look. “Well... You could say they’re just very fluffy poodles. Poodles in need of a haircut?” he offered.</p>
<p>Victor pouted, and Yuuri could no longer contain his laughter. He practically doubled over, only wheezing even more when Victor crossed his – still mittened – arms and glared.</p>
<p>“Yuuuuuriiii! That’s mean! This is already my third batch!”</p>
<p>He snickered a bit more before pulling himself together.</p>
<p>“You’re right, you’re right. Sorry.”</p>
<p>Victor’s expression changed to a smile and he took off the mittens.</p>
<p>“Where do I sign?”</p>
<p>Yuuri glanced over at the cookies again as he held out the paper. “Cinnamon?”</p>
<p>“Hm? Mhm! To be honest I was hoping you’d arrive when I had a batch ready that actually looked like poodles.”</p>
<p>He blushed a bit and half-hid behind his clipboard.</p>
<p>“R-Really? For me?”</p>
<p>Victor beamed. “Yes! You’ve been bringing me so many things, and then the heavy one... I just wanted to say thank you. Unfortunately, I’m not a good baker.”</p>
<p>Yuuri gave him his warmest smile.</p>
<p>“I’m sure they’re delicious.”</p>
<p>Victor blushed a little and turned around, before shoving a plate in his direction. It held... Well, utterly mangled round cookies.</p>
<p>“You can try one of these. These were, uh, snowflakes.”</p>
<p>Fighting a new laughing fit, he picked one up – they were still a bit warm. He bit into it.</p>
<p>“Delicious.” He mumbled around a mostly empty mouth – they really were.</p><ol>
<li>Eight maids a-milking</li>
</ol>
<p>Both Phichit and him were staring at the... the <em>thing </em>in horror. It was... Well, he hoped the packaging was misleading. Or the shape at least.</p>
<p>The wrapping paper was garish – pink with a series of farm motives, a young girl milking a cow, chickens running, pigs, that sort of thing.</p>
<p>The <em>shape </em>on the other hand...</p>
<p>“It’s a dildo.” Yuuri whispered.</p>
<p>“You don’t know that.” Phichit replied.</p>
<p>“But I do. Look at it. What else could it BE?”</p>
<p>It had the shape, right down to balls at the bottom, it was slightly curved, had an indent under the head – with a small ribbon wrapped there, mind you – and just... It screamed penis.</p>
<p>Phichit hummed. “It could be a vibrator?”</p>
<p>Yuuri had never been closer to beating someone to death with a presumed sex toy than in that moment.</p>
<p>Yuuri was already blushing when he got on the elevator with the thing – of course it was THAT day that a middle-aged woman was getting on too... And she was glaring daggers at him and his burden.</p>
<p>He all but hammered on the door, praying to get rid of it soon. Victor greeted him with a beaming smile – that dropped as soon as he saw Yuuri’s expression.</p>
<p>“Yuuri? I-is something wrong?”</p>
<p>He held out the... thing with a cough.</p>
<p>A rapid succession of emotions washed over Victor’s face. Surprise, disbelief, embarrassment, and finally... anger? He looked angry.</p>
<p>“I am going to <em>kill him</em>.” Victor declared frostily, snatching up the thing. He stomped inside – Yuuri had to follow – Victor hadn’t signed.</p>
<p>“Kill who?”</p>
<p>“Chris! He’s the one who... He said... He said he was sending me CANDY!” Victor snarled.</p>
<p>Yuuri stared at the... thing. It was at least a foot long and definitely not candy shaped.</p>
<p>Before he could ask Victor to sign, he had angrily dialled something on his phone and was snarling something into it – in French.</p>
<p>Yuuri hadn’t known he was into French until that exact moment.</p>
<p>Blushing still, he waited, hoping Victor would sign soon – instead, he grabbed the thing... and started to unwrap it.</p>
<p>Yuuri was equally curious and embarrassed – curiosity won out as he watched the wrapping paper disappear until all that was left was a cellophane-wrapped, pink and white...</p>
<p>Candy cane? In the definitive shape of a rather realistic cock.</p>
<p>Yuuri didn’t know who Chris was, but for him to be sending stuff like that to Victor...</p>
<p>Speaking of, the man had just hung up and was glowering at his, uh, gift. At least he finally took the clipboard and signed.</p>
<p>“Chris is dead to me.” He declared as he gave it back to Yuuri.</p>
<p>“Who’s Chris?” his dumb mouth asked before he could think better of it.</p>
<p>“He is... Okay, he <em>was </em>my best friend. Now he’s just some idiot I don’t know anymore.”</p>
<p>Yuuri grinned quietly. Friend, not lover. Okay then.</p>
<p>“It’s... It’s a very... sweet gift?” he joked as he walked back to the door.</p>
<p>Victor gaped at him.</p>
<p>“Yuuri... Don’t you know that puns are the <em>lowest </em>form of humour?”</p>
<p>He grinned even wider. “Hope you have a <em>fun </em>evening, Victor!”</p>
<p>“Yuuuuri! Not you too!” Victor whined as he reached the elevator.</p><ol>
<li>Nine drummers drumming</li>
</ol>
<p>Victor’s packages were already a fixture on his daily plan. He looked out for the brightly wrapped things every morning. They made for a break from his usual brown cardboard deliveries – though around Christmas wrapping paper was far from unusual to see on his things, he could always spot Victor’s based purely on how ugly the paper was.</p>
<p>That say was no exception. It was a shoebox-shaped parcel with a lavender wrapping, and some nutcrackers on it, drumming away at a drum... Except they were huge and super close together, so he could hardly even see the background colour. Just a lot of ugly nutcrackers with drums.</p>
<p>Eurgh.</p>
<p>Victor, at least, seemed excited to see him. He was again the last stop on his list, and he had to have been waiting by the door with how quickly he opened.</p>
<p>“Yuuri! Hi!” he greeted him, only to all but snatch the parcel up. “It got here! I thought it might not make it today, and you’d have two tomorrow!”</p>
<p>He smiled.</p>
<p>“Oh? You plan them in advance?”</p>
<p>Victor hummed as he signed.</p>
<p>“Well, sort of! I get a delivery window usually, you know? This one said today or tomorrow... And it would have been sad if I’d missed you today because someone else made it late!”</p>
<p>“Do you often miss me?” Yuuri blurted out, only to hide behind his clipboard immediately.</p>
<p>Thankfully, Victor wasn’t insulted and just laughed. Once Yuuri peaked back at him, he gave the most exaggerated wink.</p>
<p>“Only when you’re not here!”</p>
<p>Yuuri whimpered.</p>
<p>“I mean, what <em>would </em>I do without my own personal Santa, bringing me all my gifts before Christmas?” Victor continued, clearly enjoying how much Yuuri was squirming now.</p>
<p>The bastard.</p>
<p>“D-Does that mean you’ve been a good boy all year?” someone said – to Yuuri’s shock, he realised it was his own voice.</p>
<p>Victor’s response was an adorable mix of a whine and a laugh, accompanied by a blush so lovely Yuuri forgot for a few moments just how utterly ridiculous he was being.</p>
<p>He felt like he was floating all the way back down to his truck.</p><ol>
<li>Ten pipers piping</li>
</ol>
<p>The next day, Victor’s package was one of only four he had to deliver – the shortest shift he’d had in weeks, he was pretty sure.</p>
<p>He decided to leave it for last.</p>
<p>It was a sort of mauve colour, and featured what seemed to be fairy tale scenes. Red Riding Hood, the pied piper, that sort of thing. The package itself was incredibly light – he even shook it lightly, and it sounded like nothing slid around.</p>
<p>Having dropped off the other three things, he eagerly skipped towards Victor’s home.</p>
<p>He didn’t make it all the way (just as he reached for the door handle, it slammed open, and only his dance-training-honed reflexes allowed him to dodge out of the way.</p>
<p>Out came a familiar face – two actually.</p>
<p>Victor, laughing and being pulled by Makkachin.</p>
<p>“Ohhh so that’s why you were so eager, is it?” Victor cooed, petting his poodle. “Because you knew Yuuri here was coming? Good girl! Hi Yuuri!”</p>
<p>“Hey, Victor.” He grinned, holding his package.</p>
<p>“Oh... That... Ah, I need to walk Makka right now. I can’t take it with me. Is it... Do you have a lot of deliveries left? Maybe you could, later...”</p>
<p>Yuuri shook his head, his grip on the package tightening.</p>
<p>“You’re my only one.” They both froze for a second. “I mean... My last delivery.”</p>
<p>Makka barked once, yanking on the leash again. Victor paid her no mind.</p>
<p>“Then... Would you like to come on the walk with us? There’s a park across the street.”</p>
<p>“I... Are you sure? I can just... wait here. For you to come back.” He offered. He really was just trying to be helpful, but when he took in Victor’s slightly pained and embarrassed expression, he shook his head. “A-Actually, a walk will do me good. Lead the way.”</p>
<p>Victor was beaming the entire way.</p><ol>
<li>Eleven ladies dancing</li>
</ol>
<p>Even for someone who liked dance as much as he did, the latest... thing was too much. It was a cardboard roll, the sort used for posters, and it was wrapped in a reddish, sort of orange paper with ballerinas on it – they were arranged to be holding hands mid-step, an endlessly repeating row of them, and they all had differently coloured tutus – pastel rainbow coloured, but not in any damn <em>order.</em></p>
<p>It was driving him nuts that they weren’t arranged better. Who put them in the order of yellow-purple-green-orange-red? Who? And why?</p>
<p>He gripped the steering wheel tighter. Victor was in the middle of his route this time, and he was NOT looking forward to it being the last time he saw him for a bit.</p>
<p>He had almost a week off, and there would be no guarantee that Victor would keep getting packages as often as he was now.</p>
<p>In fact, it was unlikely he would be.</p>
<p>And Yuuri... would miss him.</p>
<p>Glancing at his to-do list, he mentally rearranged his plans. So what if it cost him a half-hour of his own time? He’d save Victor for last.</p>
<p>The picture he saw before himself when Victor opened the door was every domestic fantasy he’d ever had. Victor’s flat was decorated for Christmas, there was a fake fireplace thing on the TV, and Victor was holding a cup of tea while wearing an oversized sweater that covered half his hands.</p>
<p>It hit Yuuri HARD how much he’d hate spending Christmas alone. It didn’t bother him normally, but... but!</p>
<p>He put on his softest smile and handed Victor his package. “Here. Merry Christmas.” He said.</p>
<p>Victor’s smile was a little forced too – or was he imagining that?</p>
<p>“Thank you, Yuuri. Merry Christmas. It’s late... Done for the day?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>“Tea?”</p>
<p>“... Sure.”</p>
<p>He found himself leaning against Victor’s kitchen counter while the other man opened the package.</p>
<p>“Sooo, spending Christmas with family?” Victor asked while ripping off the paper.</p>
<p>“No, they’re back home in Japan.”</p>
<p>“A girlfriend then?”</p>
<p>Yuuri snickered. “I’m single... And I don’t play for that team anyway.”</p>
<p>Victor sighed in apparent relief, just as he reached whatever was inside the package. Was it really something he’d been waiting for? Yuuri couldn’t see what it was.</p>
<p>“How about you? Any plans?” he forced himself to ask, sipping his tea.</p>
<p>Victor shook his head.</p>
<p>“Just me and Makka. Like every year.”</p>
<p>He finally revealed what was in the box – a pair of.. shoes? They were nice, but nothing special.</p>
<p>“Have you been waiting for those?” Yuuri asked.</p>
<p>Victor just gave him a confused look. “I... No? They were on time, just another gift from a friend.”</p>
<p>Huh.</p>
<p>“Y-You must have a lot of friends that like shitty wrapping paper.” He immediately slapped a hand over his mouth, mortified he’d said something so rude.</p>
<p>Victor froze for a moment before giggling in a decidedly unmanly way.</p>
<p>“It’s... No, that’s not it. Yuuri, I’m the one who likes it. I used to hate how all the wrapping paper was so similar, you know? Always the same red and silver and gold.. And then people started using unusual paper for me. And then...”</p>
<p>“Then suddenly it was hideous neon parrots.” He said, remembering the weirdly tiny package he’d almost missed.</p>
<p>“Oh, that one. That one actually was, uh, never mind. S-some shops offer it as a service. The wrapping.”</p>
<p>Yuuri grinned. “I might have to do that for my sister next year. She hates Christmas, she’ll love the idea.”</p>
<p>Victor visibly relaxed and smiled.</p>
<p>“Does she? Tell me everything!”</p>
<p>Yuuri was on his way home <em>way </em>late – before he’d known it, an hour had passed chatting to Victor. He realised on the way back that he didn’t even have food at home – at least the shops were still open.</p>
<p>He drove to the mall, picked up some food, and... paused. His eyes were glued to something behind a window.</p>
<p>He thought about it for, like, a weird amount of time before wandering inside and buying it. Well, not like he was going to do anything with it. It was... just an idea. Just that.</p><ol>
<li>Twelve lords a-leaping</li>
</ol>
<p>Yuuri knew he was crazy. It was the only explanation for why he was standing in Victor’s hallway, getting ready to knock on his door with a badly-wrapped gift in his hands... On Christmas day.</p>
<p>Yes, Victor would call the police and he would spend Christmas in jail.</p>
<p>He stared down at the wrapping paper – he’d gotten the ugliest he could find, pastel pink with bearded lumberjacks in ballerina tutus, mid-jump.</p>
<p>Inside was nothing particularly fancy – just that little something he’d spotted at the mall the evening before.</p>
<p>It was a onesie – a poodle onesie. It was incredibly fluffy, and it even had a sewed on pink collar with a little tag that you could write your name on. The ears were huge and floppy... And for some reason, he’d wrapped it and brought it to Victor’s doorstep.</p>
<p>He considered knocking on the door and running away, but there was no way he’d make it before the other man opened.</p>
<p>Leaving was still an option – one he seriously considered – until Victor’s door opened all on its own, and he was staring at the lovely if confused, visage of his favourite package recipient.</p>
<p>“... Yuuri?”</p>
<p>“V-V-Victor! I!” he stammered, suddenly fighting the overwhelming urge to run and hide.</p>
<p>“You... Why are you here? I know you don’t work today.”</p>
<p>That startled Yuuri enough to allow him to momentarily bypass his embarrassment.</p>
<p>“You...how?”</p>
<p>To his surprise, Victor flushed. “I...might have called your company and begged them to deliver something today. No service on Christmas, they said.”</p>
<p>He stared. “Is it a package that’s already at the distribution centre? If so, I can go and get it for you. I have a key?”</p>
<p>Victor froze as well, and they were staring at each other for a long minute.</p>
<p>“You know, I’m still not sure with you. But... That’s okay. There is no package. Not yet anyway. Would you like to come in?”</p>
<p>Yuuri gulped. “No need. I just came to give you this.”</p>
<p>He held out the ugly package.</p>
<p>Victor paused for maybe a second, just long enough for Yuuri to start doubting himself again, and then... Then Victor surged forward, his hands roughly grasping Yuuri’s shirt, and yanking them together, their mouths meeting in a slightly messy kiss.</p>
<p>The gift tumbled to the floor, forgotten.</p>
<p>Someone – probably Victor – moaned into the kiss. Yuuri adjusted his head a little, his hands landing on Victor’s hips, and then it was pure perfection.</p>
<p>He missed Victor as soon as the taller man pulled back.</p>
<p>“Would you like to spend Christmas with me and Makka?”</p>
<p>“I’d love nothing more.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“That is the most <em>hideous </em>wrapping paper I’ve ever seen! Yuuri where did you find it? This is <em>amazing</em>!” Victor crooned as he grabbed his gift.</p>
<p>Yuuri whimpered.</p>
<p>Victor nearly tripped over his own feet running to the kitchen to tear into the package. In no time at all, he had out Yuuri’s last-minute purchase – and gasped.</p>
<p>“Yuuri... Wait <em>right there</em>!” he declared, before sprinting off to his bedroom.</p>
<p>Yuuri used the chance to pet Makka, hoping it would calm his nerves.</p>
<p>It didn’t.</p>
<p>When Victor came back, he was, in fact, wearing the poodle onesie, all zipped up and the puppy hood pulled over his head.</p>
<p>“How do I look?” he asked.</p>
<p>Yuuri’s stomach twisted. “<em>Fantastic</em>.” He replied honestly.</p>
<p>To his surprise, he found himself wrapped in a warm (and fluffy) hug. He indulged himself for a moment before Victor pulled back with a laugh.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Half an hour later, they were sitting in front of the TV with its fake fireplace thing on, and something occurred to Yuuri.</p>
<p>“How did you know I was at the door? I hadn’t decided to knock yet.”</p>
<p>Victor grinned. “It was Makka. She knows you and she goes mad when you’re at the door.”</p>
<p>He blushed slightly and Victor bumped his shoulder against Yuuri’s.</p>
<p>“Hey, that’s nothing! It’s not as embarrassing as what I did.”</p>
<p>“What did you do?” he asked the other man.</p>
<p>Victor leaned back with a sigh, the ears on the onesie shifting.</p>
<p>“Called your company to ask if you would deliver today. So I could... Invite you to stay. And also, I may have looked into shipping things... to myself. Daily. After Christmas, you know.”</p>
<p>He gaped at the gorgeous man.</p>
<p>“It gets worse.” Victor admitted and Yuuri made a faint sound of disapproval because it really seemed like it was getting <em>better</em>, not worse.</p>
<p>“So... A few of the things that you brought me... They were just things I asked Chris to send to me. So there would <em>be </em>packages each day.”</p>
<p>Yuuri, calmed a fair bit by the rum in his tea, chuckled.</p>
<p>“To see more of me...?”</p>
<p>Victor nodded and cautiously – as if to see if Yuuri would move away – leaned against him, his head resting on Yuuri’s shoulder. He wrapped an arm around Victor’s waist.</p>
<p>“I changed my schedule. Several times. So I’d have more time with you.” He admitted, suddenly not so embarrassed anymore.</p>
<p>“And the gift? When did you decide on that?”</p>
<p>Yuuri sighed. “Honestly, I hadn’t decided yet. Not even in front of the door. I... assumed you’d be mad. At me. For intruding.”</p>
<p>The man wheezed. “Mad? I thought I was being pretty obvious about how much I... was interested.”</p>
<p>“Maybe, but I couldn’t even consider that someone as beautiful and perfect as you would be interested in me at all.” He admitted, only to freeze when a choked-off wheeze drove home to him just how... blunt he had been there.</p>
<p>Victor looked up at him. “That’s enough of that rum if you think THAT. Yuuri, I... Okay, maybe I should just give you <em>my </em>gift.” He said, before getting up and walking away.</p>
<p>Victor had gotten <em>him </em>something?</p>
<p>“Sorry about the <em>hideous</em> wrapping.” Victor teased, tossing him something – he recognised it immediately. Neon parrots on a tiny package</p>
<p>“Wasn’t this for you?” he asked dumbly.</p>
<p>Victor shook his head. “No. I, uh, bought it. The day you... tried on my shirt? Express shipping and all.”</p>
<p>Blushing like mad, Yuuri carefully opened the wrapping paper, folded it, and set it down. Inside was what looked like... a small jewellery box.</p>
<p>Heart racing so fast he was worried it might jump out of his chest, he opened the box – only to gasp in shock when two gold rings stared up at him.</p>
<p>Victor’s arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind.</p>
<p>“I... For the record, I’m not asking. Not yet, anyway. But, I would be... interested. In that. With you. If you are. I know it was stupid, but I saw an ad and couldn’t help myself, and then I... Yuuri, you’re being very quiet.”</p>
<p>He slowly turned towards Victor, shock no doubt written on his features.</p>
<p>“This?”</p>
<p>The other man shrugged. “You just always seemed so... unsure. Like, one minute you’d be acting like a flirt and then you’d be ignoring all of my attempts to get you to open up. I saw these and thought... Oh, that’ll clear things up. One way or another. You, uh, can yell at me if I got it wrong. Or it’s too much.”</p>
<p>He did neither – instead he laughed, a little choked off by the ridiculous wave of affection that rolled over him at Victor’s words.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Yuuri was still at Victor’s place the day after Christmas.</p>
<p>He was making them pancakes. To eat in bed, because apparently, he was the luckiest man to ever walk the earth.</p>
<p>Arms wrapped around his waist, and a chin settled on his shoulder, and Victor’s unshaven chin rubbed along a lovebite on his neck.</p>
<p>He grinned at the pan like a complete loon before spinning around and kissing Victor deeply, only pulling back when he worried his pancakes would burn.</p>
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